I'm sure you're wondering what I did last night? Well, funny you should ask because it was a rare occasion where we had a babysitter and plans with other adults! I know! I know! And it gets better.
The big event was arranged by my friend Cheri who celebrated her 29th birthday earlier in the week but there as an ulterior motive to the gathering....to meet the new man in her life. Let me give you a little background on Cheri, she's gorgeous, funny, smart, stylish, ambitious, wonderful ,and I'm starting to sound like her pimp so I'll stop, but anyway my point is that she's a catch but throughout the years of our friendship she's been cursedly single. And it's not for lack of trying. She's dated tons and even tried her hand at online dating, which only resulted in giving her enough material to be able to write her own blog about those experiences and made her married friends all the more thankful to be happily married. But none of the guys ever measured up either to her expectations or more importantly those of her friends. In fact, for me, this was the first time I'd actually met someone that she's dating. That in and of itself gave me reason to believe that our Cheri might actually be on to something.
So Cheri sent out an email to 20 of her closest friends (seriously, did I mention she's a social butterfly?) and invited them to dinner and meet and greet with the new man..Brian. How Brian came into the picture is quite a story of courage, romance, and fate that is total Lifetime movie material, so I was anxious to meet the man behind the mystery. I got a babysitter and told my GI Joe that we were going out on the town. Woo hoo!
I'm going to deter from Cheri for a moment and give you a little side story. My husband, GI Joe, wears a uniform 5, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week and when he's not in camo he can be found in jeans and a hoodie. That's his off duty uniform, jeans and a hoodie. He kinda collects hoodies truth be told. On the rare occasion that we get to go on a date I usually request that he mix it up with a button down or something just to spice things up. As we're getting ready to go out last night he informs me that since we're just going Mexican he's wearing a hoodie. I give him the look, you know the look that says "Oh REALLY?!?". Then I go into the whole spiel about this is important and that since we're having dinner with Cheri and her special someone we should dress to impress and besides it's kind of a date night. Because he is like my 4th kid at times he then started in with the "i bet there will be other people there wearing a hoodie" to which I responded quite confidently "no i'm fairly certain given what Cheri's told me about Brian that he will not be wearing a hoodie and Jessie's husband, Josh (the only other people out of the 20 that he knows) won't be wearing a hoodie either, so here put this button down on, mmmkay thanks." Because he loves me and has learned if mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy he obliged me and put the hoodie back on the shelf. Here is where I would like to thank Josh for showing up in a hoodie and becoming my husband's hero for the evening. You are a rockstar and to everyone else, hope you got a good look at GI Joe in a button down because pretty sure I'll never win that battle again. Thanks again Josh!
Ok back to the real story. We arrived at the restaurant and met Cheri and Brian and a few other earlybirds. Our table wasn't ready yet so we sat at the bar (don't worry GI Joe and I enjoyed a Diet Coke, no rum) as more and more of the "intimate party" arrived. Cheri introduced us to Brian and then I asked that she leave him with us for a few minutes so I could conduct my "interview". Just kidding, well kind of. Here's the great part though, this guy didn't flinch one bit when I asked him question after question or when I asked him what I would find when I looked him up on Iowa Courts Online later. (Editors note: Iowa Courts Online check came back clear!)He was definitely well on his way to winning me over. The poor guy is from Cheri's hometown area and didn't know anybody that was attending the dinner. For some people that would've made them nervous and made them want to drink heavily. Not this guy, he jumped right in and held his own. He was friendly, funny, and just a genuinely nice guy.
When he officially won my blessing was at dinner when the conversation turned to his part time career as an auctioneer. Of course, wanting to see his talents I asked him to demonstrate right then and there for us his auctioneer voice, I don't even know how to type the sounds they make but you know what I'm talking about. At first he was a little taken back and asked if we really wanted him to demonstrate, of course we encouraged him and gave him a fork to auction off. Let's just say the entire restaurant was on the edge of their seats as hands were going up all over the table bidding on a fork. He is good at what he does because bidding on the restaurant quality fork ended at $17.00 to Cheri's neighbor. How awesome is that? He auctioned off a fork at a restaurant on demand!! Yep, I'm sold! He's a keeper Cheri.
Chips and salsa, cake, fork auctions, sombreros, cross eyed pictures, and good friends what could be better? Thanks Jessie, Josh, Brian, Cheri and the other 16 that I don't really know, for showing GI Joe and I a good time on our childless night out. Let's do it again soon, and this time we'll all wear hoodies!
The big event was arranged by my friend Cheri who celebrated her 29th birthday earlier in the week but there as an ulterior motive to the gathering....to meet the new man in her life. Let me give you a little background on Cheri, she's gorgeous, funny, smart, stylish, ambitious, wonderful ,and I'm starting to sound like her pimp so I'll stop, but anyway my point is that she's a catch but throughout the years of our friendship she's been cursedly single. And it's not for lack of trying. She's dated tons and even tried her hand at online dating, which only resulted in giving her enough material to be able to write her own blog about those experiences and made her married friends all the more thankful to be happily married. But none of the guys ever measured up either to her expectations or more importantly those of her friends. In fact, for me, this was the first time I'd actually met someone that she's dating. That in and of itself gave me reason to believe that our Cheri might actually be on to something.
So Cheri sent out an email to 20 of her closest friends (seriously, did I mention she's a social butterfly?) and invited them to dinner and meet and greet with the new man..Brian. How Brian came into the picture is quite a story of courage, romance, and fate that is total Lifetime movie material, so I was anxious to meet the man behind the mystery. I got a babysitter and told my GI Joe that we were going out on the town. Woo hoo!
I'm going to deter from Cheri for a moment and give you a little side story. My husband, GI Joe, wears a uniform 5, sometimes 6 or 7 days a week and when he's not in camo he can be found in jeans and a hoodie. That's his off duty uniform, jeans and a hoodie. He kinda collects hoodies truth be told. On the rare occasion that we get to go on a date I usually request that he mix it up with a button down or something just to spice things up. As we're getting ready to go out last night he informs me that since we're just going Mexican he's wearing a hoodie. I give him the look, you know the look that says "Oh REALLY?!?". Then I go into the whole spiel about this is important and that since we're having dinner with Cheri and her special someone we should dress to impress and besides it's kind of a date night. Because he is like my 4th kid at times he then started in with the "i bet there will be other people there wearing a hoodie" to which I responded quite confidently "no i'm fairly certain given what Cheri's told me about Brian that he will not be wearing a hoodie and Jessie's husband, Josh (the only other people out of the 20 that he knows) won't be wearing a hoodie either, so here put this button down on, mmmkay thanks." Because he loves me and has learned if mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy he obliged me and put the hoodie back on the shelf. Here is where I would like to thank Josh for showing up in a hoodie and becoming my husband's hero for the evening. You are a rockstar and to everyone else, hope you got a good look at GI Joe in a button down because pretty sure I'll never win that battle again. Thanks again Josh!
Ok back to the real story. We arrived at the restaurant and met Cheri and Brian and a few other earlybirds. Our table wasn't ready yet so we sat at the bar (don't worry GI Joe and I enjoyed a Diet Coke, no rum) as more and more of the "intimate party" arrived. Cheri introduced us to Brian and then I asked that she leave him with us for a few minutes so I could conduct my "interview". Just kidding, well kind of. Here's the great part though, this guy didn't flinch one bit when I asked him question after question or when I asked him what I would find when I looked him up on Iowa Courts Online later. (Editors note: Iowa Courts Online check came back clear!)He was definitely well on his way to winning me over. The poor guy is from Cheri's hometown area and didn't know anybody that was attending the dinner. For some people that would've made them nervous and made them want to drink heavily. Not this guy, he jumped right in and held his own. He was friendly, funny, and just a genuinely nice guy.
When he officially won my blessing was at dinner when the conversation turned to his part time career as an auctioneer. Of course, wanting to see his talents I asked him to demonstrate right then and there for us his auctioneer voice, I don't even know how to type the sounds they make but you know what I'm talking about. At first he was a little taken back and asked if we really wanted him to demonstrate, of course we encouraged him and gave him a fork to auction off. Let's just say the entire restaurant was on the edge of their seats as hands were going up all over the table bidding on a fork. He is good at what he does because bidding on the restaurant quality fork ended at $17.00 to Cheri's neighbor. How awesome is that? He auctioned off a fork at a restaurant on demand!! Yep, I'm sold! He's a keeper Cheri.
Chips and salsa, cake, fork auctions, sombreros, cross eyed pictures, and good friends what could be better? Thanks Jessie, Josh, Brian, Cheri and the other 16 that I don't really know, for showing GI Joe and I a good time on our childless night out. Let's do it again soon, and this time we'll all wear hoodies!
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Oh my, great recap! I agree on your assessment of Brian wholeheartedly, although I didn't consider digging for dirt on the poor guy. Josh will be glad to see he made the blog... and for doing something "heroic", no less! That, and I'm sure he'll thank you for not posting that one picture. :)
ReplyDeleteGosh, you write long posts~blogger needs to change yours from posts to "stories"! But I love to read all of the details~so don't change them!!
ReplyDeleteOh Holly!!! You are a hoot. LOVE the story. In fact, I read it outloud to my entire family and they are practically peeing their pants in laughter! I'm so glad you approve of Brian, I know that he enjoyed every minute of his interragation and he looks forward to hanging out with you guys again soon!
ReplyDeleteLove you!
Cheri
My friend, sounds like you had a really good time and it also sounds like you did a very thorough interview, but of course you would! Please find your cell phone!!!
ReplyDelete